Invalid-bed.



J. A. MCDONALD & W. MODOWALL.

INVALID BED.

APPLICATION nun 141111.24, 1909. RENEWED MAY 1, 1912.

1,046,830. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

g Wo -rm J. A. MCDONALD & W. McDOWALL.

INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24, 1909. RENEWED MAY 1, 1912. 1,046,830.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

M a M 1 k t a JOHN A. MCDONALD AND WILLIAM MODOW'ALL, OF'CENTUBY, FLORIDA..-

INVALID-BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Application filed March 24, 1909, Serial No. 485,896. Renewed May 1, 1812. Serial No. 694,524.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J 01m A. MCDONALD and WILLIAM MODOWALL, citizens of the United States both residing at Century, in the county of scambia and State of Florida,

have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Invalid-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain, new and useful improvements in beds of that type designed particularly for invalids use and the inventionhas for its ob ect an 1mroved article of this character which emodies a peculiar arrangement of parts whereby a central portion of the bed 1s rendered susceptible of bein lowered out of osition so as to have a bed pan or other desired receptacle placed thereon, the bed portion being adapted to be then raised to With these and other objects in view, as

will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the lnvention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that we shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features thereof in the a pended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a pers ective view of a bed constructed in accor ance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a fra entary top plan view of the bed bottom. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the removable section and traveling frame in juxtaposition. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view showing the removable section locked in position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followin description and indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a bed bottom which may be of any desired or approved construction or de sign, although in the present instance it consists of a sultable rectangular frame that is covered with wire fabric. This bed bottom is formed with a preferabl framed central opening 2 extending theret rough. A relatively stationary track is disposed horizontally between the opposite sides of the bed bottom and extends beneath the opening 2. The track comprises substantially andlel ide rails 3 that are sus ended su stantial y horizontally from t e bed bottom through the instrumentality of hangers 4, the. guide rails being provided at their inner or o posin sides with channels extending longitudina ly thereof.

A carriage or travelin frame 5 fits between the guide rails an is received in the channels thereof, and is movable in such channels, between cm s 6 placed at the opposite ends of the rai s to insure against the traveling frame becoming accidentall detaohed. Carried by and movable vertically upon the traveling frame, is .a removable bed bottom section 7 that is adapted to be raised to assume a position in the central openin 2 and substantially in the plane of the be bottom 1. The section 7, is, of course, similar in structure to the bed bottom, and, therefore, in the present instance consists of a frame 8 which corresponds in size and shape with the opening 2 and is covered with wire fabric. One or more guide rods 9 depend from the frame 8 and are arranged to slide through bosses 10 provided on the traveling frame 5, so as to guide the section in its vertical movement.

As the preferred means for raising and lowering t e bed bottom section, we employ a vertically disposed rack bar 11, which is secured at its upper end to a cross bar 12 of the frame 8, and rojects downwardly through the traveling rame and is engaged by a pinion 13 fixed upon an actuating shaft 14. The actuating shaft extends transversely and is journaled in bearings 15 Frovided on the frame 5, the end portions I the actuating shaft projecting beyond said frame and terminating in knobs 16 that are arranged in convenient reach from the respective sides of the bed and render the de-- vice ca able of ready mani ulation.

maintained at alltimes in engagement with the rack bar, while the shaft is rendered susceptible of being drawn in the direction of the track to cause the carriage to travel relativel thereto.

In ord er to effectually guide the section 7 into position in the openin 2, the frame around the latter has secure thereto a plurality of guide strips 17 which project downwardly and outwardly, as best shown in Fig. 3, and are adapted to have the bottom section ride thereon upon its elevation. After being moved into the opening, the section is designed to be locked in position therein so as to be maintained against downward displacement and to hold the traveling frame against movement along the track. For this urpose we preferab y. emplo a lever 18 t at is fulcrumed near its mi dle point on the cross bar 12 and roje'cts laterally below the bed bottom wit its extremities terminating at the opposite sides thereof. Two s ringcatches 19 are connected to the latch ar on opposite sides" of the fulcrum point and are slidin 1y mounted in corresponding rails of the rame 8 and are adapted to be projected therebeyo'nd into enga ement with the framework around the opening, the catches being retracted by rockin the lever in one direction.

n the use of a bed equipped with our improved mechanism, the mattress20 which is placed u on the bed bottom 1, is constructed wit a central removable section 21 that corresponds in size and-shape with the bed bottom section 7 and is arranged to be normally supported thereby. In the event of the necesslty of providing the invalid with toilet facilities, the lever 18 is rocked in the requisite direction to retract the catches 19 from engagement with the bed bottom 1 and thus release the section 7. The operator then grasps one of the knobs 16' and turns the actuating shaft so as to lower the bottom section 7 upon the traveling frame 5, said operation also displacin the mattress. section 21 which is lowere together with the bottom section. The actuating shaft is drawn transversely to slide the travelin frame 5 in the track and to- Y ward one si e of the bed in order to afford the necessity of disturbin removed therefrom and replaced. b a bed an or some other. desired receptac e. The oregoing operation is then reversed, whereupon the bottom section 7 is returned to p ace in the opening 2 and the bed an' is supported in the central 0 ening 1n the mattress so as to be arrange Y in convenient relation to the invalid. After the use of it will be apparent that we have provided an improved invalids bed, by means of which a bed dpan or the like may be placed-in position an removed,-as desired,'without which may be advantageous y emplo ed in hospitals or the like, which is capa 1e of bein easily and .quickly. operated, and whic consists of comparativel few parts that may be easil and cheap y manufactured and are not ikely to get out of order.

The invention further comprehends the provision of suitable means for maintaining the mattress against displacement on the bed bottom so as to prevent the section 21 from becoming shifted out of registry with the central opening 2, such object being attained in the gresent instance by forming the frame '8 an the frame around the opening 2 with up-standing flanges .22.

the invalid,

Having thus described the invention what .is claimed as new is:

1. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a relatively sta-- tionar track disposed substantially horizontal y beneath the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage independent of the bed and mounted to travel along the track and movable to a position beneath the opening, and a removable bed bottom section independent of the bed and carried by and movable vertically upon the carriage and adapted to be supported in the said opening.

2. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a relatively stationary track disposed substantially horizontally beneath the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage independent of the bed and mounted to travel along the track and movable to'a position beneath the opening, a removable bed bottom section carried by and movable vertically upon the carria e and adapted to be supported in the sai opening, and means carried by the carriage and independent of the bed for moving said section vertically.

3. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a track disposed tion beneath the opening, a removable bed bottom section carried by and movable upwardly above the carriage and adapted to.

be supported in the said opening, and means for both moving the carriage along the track and moving the section upwardly above the carriage.

4. An invalid bed including a bed bot-tom having a central opening, a track disposed below the bed bot-tom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage mounted to travel along the track and movable to a position beneath the opening, a removable bed bottom sect-ion carried by and movable upwardly above the carriage and adapted to besupported in the said opening, and a shaft carried by the carriage and movable in the direction of the track to cause the carriage to travel along the same, the shaft being rotatable to effect the upward movement of the section.

5. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a track disposed below the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage mounted to travel along the track and movable to a position beneath the opening, a removable bed bottom section carried by and movable upwardly above the carriage and adapted to be supported in the said opening, a rack bar secured to the section, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, and a shaft mounted on the carriage and having the pinion fixed thereon, the shaft being rotatable to efiect the upward movement of the section and being movable in the direction of the track to cause the carriage to travel therealong.

6. An. invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a relatively stationary track disposed horizontally below the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage mounted to travel along the track and movable to a position beneath the opening and provided with a bearing, a removable bed bottom section carried by and upon the carriage and adapted to be supported in the said opening, a rack bar secured to the section, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, a shaft journaled in the hearing and having the pinion fixed thereon and rotatable to effect the vertical movement of the section, the shaft being disposed in the direction of the track, and means for holding the shaft against longitudinal move ment through the bearing whereby to retain the pinion in engagement with the rack bar and to permit the shaft to be drawn in the direction of the track to cause the carriage to travel along the same.

7. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a relatively stationary track disposed substantially horizontally below the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriageindependent of the bed and mounted to travel along the track and movable to a position beneath the opening, a removable bed bottom section independent of the bed and carried by and movable vertically upon the carriage and adapted to be supported in the said opening, and means depending from the bed bottom around the opening to guide the section therein in its upward movement.

8. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a track disposed substantially horizontally below the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage mounted to travel along the track and movable to a position below the opening, a removable bed bottom section carried by and having a guided vertical movement upon the carriage and adapted to be supported in the said opening, and a catch engaging bet-ween the bed .bottom and the section to retain the latter against downward displacement from the opening and to hold the carriage against movement along the track.

9. An invalid bed including a bed bottom having a central opening, a track disposed substantially horizontally below the bed bottom and extending beneath the opening, a carriage mounted to travel along the track and movable to a posit-ion below the opening, a removable bed bottom section carried by and having guided vertical movement upon the carriage and adapted to be supported in the said opening, a catch engaging between the bed bottom and the section to maintain the latter against downward displacement from the opening and to hold the carriage against movement along the track, and means mounted on the section for releasing the catch.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN A. MCDONALD. [L. 5.]

Witnesses:

W. L. I'IALL, W. H. MITCHELL. 

